Quality over quantity every time
Pilates challenges us to examine how well our bodies are really functioning.
Even the most healthy person may have a niggle or two that causes pain and is an indication of stresses and strains on the body. For others, the effects of ignoring the needs of our bodies is all too apparent.
Pilates can help to build the body to prevent injury and help keep us healthy through the development of good posture.
Muscular stress is often hidden by groups of larger muscles that develop to protect weaker ones. This is the body’s way of coping with a problem, but is only ever short term.
Pilates exercises will identify and reveal the original source of the problem and help address it directly. There are no short cuts to solving bad posture and back pain.
For example, supporting devices such as corsets simply do the work that the muscles should be doing for themselves. We need to train our bodies to break their recourse to sloppy habits and learn new coping methods.
I’m using this theory for our next round of classes in December. The routines themselves won’t change massively from November, however we will be adding the Pilates soft ball to exercises already mastered so we can add further challenge.
Our minds will be familiar with the exercises and the muscles involved as we’ve spent four weeks creating the mind-muscle pathway. Now we add extra focus to increase the intensity of the exercise.
This will increase strength and focus as well as improving overall body movement and function.
I may even learn to count better!
